As Crash.net reports, Esteban Ocon is staring down a pivotal moment in his career after Haas announced he will exit the team at the end of the year. The 30-year-old Frenchman is fighting tooth and nail to save his place on the grid, and he has made his stance unmistakably clear: it is Formula 1 or nothing.
When asked where he would head if he cannot secure a grid spot for 2027, the answer was absolute. “Formula 1. That’s where I deserve to be. If I look at the results and what I’ve shown in Formula 1, I deserve to be in Formula 1,” he stated. While acknowledging other racing categories are fantastic, he made it known he wants to remain in the top flight for the next five to seven years. Outside of Haas, the only team with unconfirmed seats for 2027 is Red Bull’s sister squad, Racing Bulls. Given their reliance on their own junior talent pool, a year on the sidelines currently looks like the most probable destination for the winner of the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.
This exact kind of career turbulence is hauntingly familiar. Back in 2019, Ocon found himself squeezed out of a full-time seat when Force India transformed into Racing Point under Lawrence Stroll, who brought in his son Lance Stroll. He spent that year on the bench as an official reserve and third driver for Mercedes before fighting his way back to the grid with Renault in 2020. History might just repeat itself.
Faced with a similar fate for next year, Ocon confirmed he is open to a reserve or third driver role if a racing seat fails to materialize. Discussions are ongoing, though his immediate attention remains fixed on the current weekend. Since joining Haas at the start of last year, he has been outperformed by team-mate Ollie Bearman, and the team is widely expected to bring in Ferrari junior and Formula 2 championship leader Rafael Camara. Remaining at Haas in a reserve capacity feels unlikely given how the departure has played out, leaving other doors to be explored.
A return to the Mercedes family stands as a logical alternative, considering his past ties and the fact that Mercedes customer squads like McLaren, Alpine, and Williams can also tap into the Silver Arrows' reserve pool. While Fred Vesti currently holds reserve duties for Mercedes, adding Ocon as backup to George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli would bolster the operation. Further down the line, newer outfits like Audi and Cadillac have their line-ups settled for 2027, but potential openings arriving for 2028 could offer the veteran a lifeline back into a competitive machine.
